Mental Health As Well As General Health

Health is a condition of full physical, mental and emotional well being in which infirmity and illness are absent. It is the state when all three elements of health are present, and the absence of one of them does not affect the others. The definition of health is influenced by the three facets of it, health, disease and impairment. A happy medium would be the state when the three aspects are balanced and the absence of one does not affect the others.

What is meant by balance? Balancing of all three aspects in public health services implies that there should be a healthy environment as well as the provision of services that cater for the needs of those who may be marginalised or not economically privileged. Health services must not only be able to provide effective treatment but also promote general well-being. The provision of health services is a large-scale societal effort, which entails governmental policies as well as private-sector solutions.

It is a fact that in the twenty-first century life expectancy is increasing at an alarming rate. This is due to the increased level of health problems, particularly chronic diseases. Chronic diseases include coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, lung disease, osteoporosis and various cancers. All these have been made worse by the social conditions that have worsened over the last few decades, such as poor nutrition, lack of exercise, sexual abstinence, lack of social support and stress.

Stress has become a major cause for many health problems including anxiety, insomnia, depression, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disorders and bowel problems. Over the last few decades, several researches have been conducted on the relation between stress and various illnesses. The main article includes some of the most important research findings on the relation between stress and life expectancy. This may come as a shock to many people but the link between insomnia and poor health outcomes was established. This means that even though we do not feel stress and are often too relaxed most of the time, our body still needs rest.

Another shocking finding is the fact that almost two thirds of the general population is obese. This is because the food market has increased and there is a greater demand for foods with high fat, sugar and salt contents. It is important to note that there has been very little improvement in public health over the last few years and the ratio of obese people to healthy people has increased. This is a major cause of health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

Mental health also plays a critical role in one’s overall well-being. Some studies have shown that people who are mentally ill are more likely to die earlier. A recent study showed that people who are suffering from stress or depression are more likely to develop premature death. This is because stress alters the immune system and results in a decrease in the number of white blood cells and an increase in inflammatory cytokines which can cause heart disease. Similarly, people who are depressed are more likely to develop psychological disorders such as depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These mental disorders are linked with increased mortality rates both in the short and long term.